4.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 4
Texture 2
Overall 4
Draught half pint at the brewery with Muzzlehatch on 3/12/06
Cloudy, yet still somewhat transluscent raspberry-red colored body, with small bubbles rising, has a pinkish, yellow cream-flecked head that is wispy and well-retained, providing light lacing.
The nose is a modest, but still rather mild, lactic acid from the sour mash, with dry, raspberry seeds, slightly pulpy, with just a smidgeon of oak chip butteriness. Nearly no sweetness, no real maltiness and seemingly quite attenuated. Aerated and fruity, but could stand to be a good deal more intense, or at least complex and tart. No alcohol noted in the aroma.
Flavor begins with a watery, pulpy-chalky mix of dry, raspberry pulp, heavy minerals, light butter and a pathetic attempt at sourness. The chalky, yeasty, mineralic qualities immediately have a dulling effect on the palate, while the dry, heavily attenuated raspberries provide no relief from the dry and watery feel. Some sweet raspberry juice would go a long way, as would some real sourness to clear the palate. I’m afraid, however, that even with those additions, the heavy wateriness would still be too much. The very light, buttery-wood notes just seem dull and....buttery. No alcohol, no residual sugars, watery, pulpy texture.
Tried
on 17 Mar 2006
at 10:57